Determination
by munkin93
Summary: Bree Cullen has just been inducted into the family. Desperately trying to fit in and stay afloat, will she cave in altogether? Based on the character from Eclipse.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** okay, so this is my first published fanfic ever, so you'd imagine that I'm quite nervous. Please be nice. Constructive, helpful criticism is good! This is just a "what if" sort of thing that I dreamt up a few days ago. Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I got nothing. I don't own Twilight or any of its characters (though I often wish I did!)

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I was barely paying any attention to what they were saying. I didn't honestly care. All I wanted was to come out of this alive (well, that and the human); that was why I had stopped fighting in the first place. I didn't want to die today.

The brown-haired girl turned to look at me again, this time looking bored with the situation.

"Felix," she said, and one standing behind her took a couple steps forward.

"Wait," the beautiful yellow-eyed one said, putting his hand out. He spoke to the one who had offered to let me live if I would comply. "We could explain the rules to the young one. She doesn't seem unwilling to learn. She didn't know what she was doing." Yeah! Listen to the gorgeous one!

"Of course," the other one said. "We would certainly be prepared to take responsibility for Bree." Yes! Please oh please! Let me live!

The girl in the dark cloak facing us looked incredulous yet entertained.

"We don't make exceptions." NO! "And we don't give second chances. It's bad for our reputation . . . " Please, no. She paused for several moments, staring right at me. I didn't move, giving her the most sincere and innocent looks I possibly could. She turned to the rest of her group to deliberate; I couldn't hear them.

The gorgeous one turned to the human and whispered, "They're considering. They don't want their reputation ruined, but they don't want to get in trouble with Aro or Caius, either. Felix doesn't like it, but the majority have sympathy for the girl." YES!

The dark-cloaks turned back around to face us, and the girl's face was pained.

"The girl lives, but the world cannot know how she came to be. Not even Aro and Caius. The story shall be that she was found in the woods near your home, and she had sympathy toward your . . . vegetarian ways. People cannot know what truly has happened here. Should they find out," she gave me a dirty glance, "we'll see to it she is dispatched."

I wasn't going to die today. The words sunk in and for a moment they seemed unreal. I get to live . . . forever. Wow.

"You have our solemn vow," the tall, merciful, yellow-eyed one promised. "No one outside of this clearing shall know the truth." The girl nodded, as if to say, "You're very correct." She turned to her group.

"Come," she said, and they all turned and followed her out into the misty woods.

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**A/N:** Not too painful? Like I said, please be nice!


	2. Learning

**A/N: Okay, either no one read at all or I just didn't get any reviews on the first chapter, so please remember to review! Anonymous are allowed! Thanks!**

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"Control your thoughts, Bree. You can control it. It's all about mind power," Carlisle said to me. I was sitting on the floor in the middle of a huge, empty room with my legs crossed and my eyes closed. About three floors above me, I could hear the clear, rhythmic beating of the human's heart. It sounded divine.

"I am in control," I repeated. It was like meditating. There was a part of me that desperately wanted to fall asleep, but the other part knew I couldn't and never again would.

Alice was upstairs entertaining . . . Bella. . . I could still hear the sound of her mouth-watering heartbeat. . . Anyway, apparently Alice was trying to distract her from going to visit the dog who got hurt in the battle.

My thoughts were drawn back to the present when Edward (the gorgeous one!) said, "Focus, Bree. Concentration is the key." I slipped back into my thoughts. It was much easier to do this when I had the blond one, Jasper, around. I always felt calm around him.

"I am focused," I insisted to myself. "I'm very, very focused."

"No, you're not," Edward muttered. I furrowed my brow.

"Yes, I am."

"Nope."

"Yes."

"You're thinking about Bella," he said. I opened my eyes and looked at him.

"I can't help it! It sounds so appealing!" I said, holding my hands up in the air. He looked mad.

"Do you know what a chance we're taking just by having you and Bella in the same house together?!" he asked.

"Okay, okay!"

"Edward, we're just lucky we're able to carry on a decent conversation with her," Jasper said, rubbing his temples as though he was exhausted. The calm I felt faltered a little as he was doing this, and I seriously considered running upstairs and eating the human. However, the calm came back quickly and the thought was pushed to the side, although not completely smothered.

"Bella is leaving; we need to move Bree," Edward said to Carlisle, who nodded in agreement. Move me? Was I a hospital patient? "Hold your breath," Edward instructed, picking me up my the arm. The other two followed suit and the three of them carried me upstairs and out the back door.

Once we were out, Edward warned me to keep my nose plugged while we ran. We ran several miles into the forest, away from any human life.

"Okay, you're safe," Carlisle said. I exhaled deeply and put my hand on my chest as I rested on a fallen tree. I looked around at the three of them, watching me. It was awkward.

"Sorry," Edward said, crossing his arms and looking in another direction. I rolled my eyes. Whatever. Go read someone else's mind!

"I need to know what you're thinking. If I need to restrain you, I'll need to know when, won't I?"

You won't need to restrain me.

"Yeah, sure," he said. "You're a newborn, Bree. It's only natural. Don't feel singled out or babied."

Thanks.

"No problem."

"I hate it when you do that," Jasper said, glancing at Edward, who chuckled along with Carlisle. I even let a smile escape onto my lips. Then I became serious once again.

"I'm sorry I'm such a handful," I apologized truthfully. They shrugged in unison.

"If we weren't willing to spend the time helping you overcome this, we wouldn't have offered to take you in," Carlisle explained. I smiled. He was very father-like.

"Thank you." Again, the three of them smiled at me.

I had never had a big family. My parents were older when they had me, so I was an only child, and I hated it. I wanted nothing more than to have older (or younger, for that matter) siblings to hang out with and have fun with. Now I had exactly that. And I would live like this forever. My life was officially perfect. . . aside from the whole thirsting-for-human-blood-thing.

Eventually, we all made our way back to the house once Bella was good and gone.

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**A/N:** Again, please remember to review! :D


	3. Control

**A/N:** I am so sorry it has taken me so long to update! I've been really busy at school and blah blah blah . . . I know you don't really care, so I won't bore you with details!

I will admit that this is not one of my best chapters, but just hang in there! It does get better! I swear! (And yes, I do plan on working into Breaking Dawn) Enjoy!

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"Why? Why? I REALLY don't want to kill anybody!" I pleaded frantically as Emmett dragged me to the car. Edward climbed into the driver's seat and Emmett, Jasper, and I took the back row; I sat in the middle, no doubt so that they could restrain/calm me at a moment's notice.

"It's just a test, Bree. You've made excellent progress the last few weeks and we just want to make sure you're safe for the wedding," Jasper explained. "We can't take any chances with the wedding."

They had been putting me through various "tests" since I got here. The worst, by far, had to be the first time they put me on the hiking trail. The scent of the humans was so strong I immediately began sprinting for town, but, luckily, Edward caught me before I could cause any damage. Eventually I could perfectly control myself on the trail; it was no big deal. Downtown was another thing.

Don't get me wrong, downtown Forks was not exactly the "hot spot" for people to hang out (it consisted of about ten ancient, decrepit tourist shops on a wide road), but people would certainly be there. I wasn't sure I could handle it. For some reason, my new brothers insisted I could.

"You'll be fine, Bree," Edward reminded me, no doubt reading my thoughts. "Just remember to concentrate."

Concentrate. I am in charge. I am in control of my body. I am in total control over my senses. I have the power to restrain myself.

We pulled out of the driveway and in less than three minutes, we were driving into the suburbs of Forks. I froze at the sight of two or three children playing in front of a house and Edward slowed down.

"Jazz, don't do anything. Let's see how she handles it on her own," Edward instructed. "Bree, stop holding your breath."

"Edward, I really, really don't want to hurt somebody," I told him, a hint of whining in my voice.

"You won't," he insisted. "Breathe." I did as I was told.

It burned. It was like waking up on a cold morning with strep throat; you don't realize how much it hurts until you swallow, and then it burns. I grabbed Emmett's arm for support, and he held my hand in place there. I forced myself to take another breath, and it was worse, the closer we got to the children.

"I CAN'T!" I screamed, holding my breath again.

"You can!" Edward urged. "Jazz, not yet." I knew Jasper was dying to help me, to calm me down. I was now shaking from head to foot. I let out a scream and put my head between my legs. I wrenched my hands free and held my head with them.

"Don't hold your breath," Edward warned. "This is a test." I began stomping my feet like a little kid, breaking through the floor of the car, even denting the pavement in some places.

"You're gonna fix those, right?" Emmett asked, looking at the floor, the hint of a joke in his voice. I was too preoccupied to catch it or even notice what he was saying. I was rocking back and forth, my vision going in and out, making me dizzy. Goose bumps might have popped up on my arms if they weren't in a permanently frozen state.

All of a sudden, it got better. Not completely gone, but I could at least stop rocking back and forth; I was still shaking with my head in-between my legs.

"Whoa," I heard Jasper say. "That was really impressive." Jerk. He didn't think I could handle it! Not that I really DID handle it. . .

"She thinks you're a jerk for not believing she could handle it," Edward informed him.

"Get. . . the hell. . . out. . . of my HEAD!" I managed to get out of my clenched teeth. Emmett laughed, clapping his hands together. I achieved getting my head up and sitting in a semi-normal posture.

"Very good, Bree!" Jasper congratulated me, and I glowed with satisfaction. Maybe I could actually do it. Maybe it really was possible!

Edward zoomed to the end of the street and took a right; we were headed into town. I clenched my fists even tighter than they already were. This was it.

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**A/N:** Not _horribly_ bad, right? Okay, I promise I won't be so slow updating next time, because that was just plain ridiculus! Thanks for taking the time to read!


	4. Trait

**A/N:** Okay, another not-so-great chapter . . . this was mostly for my own contentment; I didn't really want to leave the last chapter hanging. Just as before, I _promise_ things way more interesting!

Also, thank you thank you thank you for all my wonderful reviews! This fanfic is my little pet, my brain and my imagination's lovechild, so it really means a lot that I've gotten such positive reviews! Thank you! Enjoy!

P.S. NO! Not the Volturi! ;) (no offense taken! It made me laugh!)

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To my surprise and delight, Edward practically zoomed down the street, but for those few seconds, I truly believed I was going to die. Emmett held me in the fetal position I had previously taken, and Jasper let me squeeze his hand. I screamed in agony; this was so much worse than the children earlier. There were so many different smells, and I wanted all of them.

I knew the people on the street were probably wondering where all the screaming was coming from; the windows on the car were tinted jet black, so no one could see in. I was shaking so violently, I could feel that I was moving the whole car back and forth. I dug my nails into Jasper's hand and he quickly pulled it away.

"Don't, Jasper," Edward warned. Jasper wasn't helping me? Then how the heck was I doing this? This was supposed to take years to get a handle on. Well, it's not like I exactly had a handle on it, but I was sure a whole lot better than they said I'd be.

"I suspect that's the personality trait you brought over from your mortal life," Edward explained to me, once we were back in the suburbs.

"What is?" I croaked. I had no idea what he was talking about.

"Your determination. I've never seen someone so dedicated to making a change. It's your desperation to live," he justified. I nodded. That was cool. I didn't think there was anything special about me. It felt good to have that proved otherwise.

Next to me, Jasper was massaging his hand.

"I'm really sorry about that," I told him sincerely. "What can I do?"

"Nothing," he said, shrugging and flexing his fingers. "I'm fine. See?" He wiggled them around in front of me. They seemed to be perfectly normal.

"Did you help me at all?" I asked as we got out of the car at the house. He smiled.

"Only driving through the suburbs on the way back, just to bring you back down," he admitted. I honestly wanted to be angry with him for not letting me do it all on my own, but there was a little part of me that was truly grateful for his help. Emmett met me on the other side of the car and gave me a high-five before slinging his arm around my shoulder.

"Very impressive, kid," he said as we walked into the house.

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**A/N:** Shortish this time, sorry kids. I'm posting another chapter immediately after this one so as not to leave you with this little nugget! Haha! ~Munkin93


	5. Handleable

**A/N:** Another midget chapter, sorry! That's why I put two up this time, because they're both short-ish. Again, thank you for taking valuable time out of your day to read my amateur ramblings. It really means a lot! I've noticed that these have been some slow chapters; they're mostly for my own benefit (_I_ even wanted to know what happens next!).

Please enjoy! :)

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"Are you sure about this?" I asked Jasper. He did not reply.

They were finally letting me meet Bella, three days before the wedding. I was sure I wouldn't hurt her. They had let me smell some of her clothes (which had been horrific to start – not the smell [that was great] but the actual process itself -- but that gradually got better). I was determined not to hurt her.

She was waiting in the living room. I was in the bathroom on the second floor. I could clearly hear her wet heartbeat through the floor. It was making me shake with desire, but it was handleable . . . I could handle it . . . I _had_ to handle it.

"You'll be fine. You won't hurt her," Alice told me. I sighed in relief. If Alice said it, then it was more than true, so I took Jasper's arm and we followed her down the hall to the stairs. My eyes began to water when I looked at Bella, who was hidden behind the overly-protective Edward. I was shaking again, but I was collected, thanks to Jasper, who was extending all of his power to keep me under control.

Bella looked nervous. The last time we had seen each other, I had been aching for her blood. I didn't let go of Jasper's arm as we edged nearer to her and Edward.

"She's not going to hurt her, Edward," Alice told him, but he shook his head, his expression nothing more than serious.

Edward, I'm not going to hurt her. I promise, I thought. He raised his eyebrows and stepped to the side, exposing Bella. She looked quite afraid of me, but she smiled anyway and held out her hand for me to shake. The entire room tensed as they waited for my reaction.

I held up my shaking hand and put it in hers. I held my breath just to gain a minuscule amount of control over myself. I could literally feel the blood pulsing through her veins, and it made me crazy. I could also feel Jasper was exerting all his power on me, and it really did help.

"Hi," she said, giving me a smile. I looked into her eyes and managed a smile.

"Hello," I got out through my teeth. I even accomplished a smile. I let go of her hand, and it was suddenly easier to control myself. "I'm really sorry about all this," I told her, still not daring to inhale. She gave a small, silent laugh.

"It's okay. I really want you at the wedding," she told me. I could tell she was sincere, and I could immediately tell I was going to enjoy having her as an older sister. I wouldn't dare breathe in again, so I directed my thoughts at Edward.

Tell her that I'm happy she said that.

"She's thrilled you said that," Edward explained. Bella grinned.

"You two are going to be close friends," Alice informed us, absolutely glowing. Bella and I glanced at each other. Man, Alice sure did know how to create an awkward moment. It wasn't that I had anything against Bella, I just didn't know her well (let alone well enough to say that we were going to be close friends).

Innocent little Alice just stood there, turning back and forth on the spot, still smiling her face off.

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**A/N:** Kind of weird, huh? Please remember as you read and review that I've spent a lot of time on this, so try to be nice! It's my baby! Haha, okay, maybe that sounds just a little drastic, but it's mostly true. Again, thank you for reading! ~Munkin93


	6. Instincts

**A/N:** How many times do you think I can thank you before you get annoyed? Hmm . . . well, I don't care! Thank you! Thank you for wonderful comments and support! You are amazing! Thanks again! :D

Okay, so now we're getting into Breaking Dawn. I've tried my best to do the book justice (as in, not altering very many details), but there will be times where I need to slip some things in or slightly change one or two details on a minuscule level. Nothing huge, nothing too painful (I hope). Nothing about the story or plot of Breaking Dawn will change whatsoever, though, I promise!

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"Can I do anything to help?" I asked, watching Alice putting up the hundreds of flowers she had ordered. She smiled at me when I spoke.

"Yeah, you can start on that side. See? Just like this," she showed me what she had already done. I watched for a moment, picked up a box of flowers, and walked to the other side of the room. I picked up a single flower and it fell apart in my hands. The second one followed suit.

"Alice?"

"Yes?"

"I think you bought faulty flowers," I told her, going through a third freesia. She giggled.

"No, you just have to be really gentle. You're still a newborn, so you don't really recognize your own strength yet. Just pretend they're soap bubbles," she instructed, returning to her work.

"Soap bubbles. Right," I muttered under my breath, even though I knew she could hear me. I bent down to pick up another flower and slid my hand underneath it as gently and softly as I could. It felt like air on my palm as I lifted the rest of the garland. I began pinning it to the wall, and I was done sooner than I realized.

"Bree! Would you like to come help outside?" I heard Esme call from outside. I glanced at Alice who nodded in her direction, telling me to go. I left the flowers and darted outside, hoping to be rid of them. . . of course, I was all too mistaken.

There must have been ten thousand more boxed flowers out here, too. I sighed and set to work, helping Esme as best as I could.

The sun was just starting to come up when we finished the flowers. My still heart sunk when I was informed that there were still twinkle lights that needed installing, along with a dance floor.

"But the boys will take care of that," Esme insisted, wrapping her arm around me and leading me inside. "You must be thirsty. Rosalie is going to take you hunting in a few minutes, just as a precaution." I nodded. That was smart.

:

"Are you just about ready?" Rosalie asked, knocking on my door. The Cullens had been kind enough to give me my very own bedroom, and Alice had even gone shopping for furniture that "fit my persona" the day after I was accepted into the family.

I opened the door and nodded at the gorgeous blonde before me. Usually, I would be completely jealous of her were I not equally beautiful. I followed her down the hall, down the stairs, and out the back door.

"Follow me, and try to stay as alert as you can," she instructed, and I nodded obediently. I was surprised at how kind Rosalie was to me. I had seen the way she had given Bella the cold shoulder and had expected the worst from her, but she was miraculously kindhearted toward me. I could already tell I was going to have fun as the youngest child of five (almost six).

I followed her deep into the forest, staying as attentive as I could. All of a sudden, she stopped, smelling the air.

"Tell me, Bree: in which direction did they go?" she asked me, giving a curious smile. A breeze came, as did the odd smell of animal blood from the west. I pointed.

"That way." She smiled and motioned for me to lead. I took off in that direction, even using my hands to propel me forward. I could hear water flowing, and soon we came upon a small stream, where two elk were drinking.

I went mad. I leapt forward and had them both down in less than three seconds; the smell was so strong. I glanced at Rosalie proudly before helping myself to the larger of the two.

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**A/N:** Thanks again for reading! You rock for spending your valuable time to read this when you could probably be doing something else with it. Be sure to tune in within the next couple of days (or tomorrow??) for the next chapter.

*Confession* - I have about the first 20 or so chapters already done (holy cow), but I'm still going with this story (holy cow), but I don't want this story to end up with 235 chapters (because who wants to read that??). So I'm thinking about creating a new story (a sequel) to add on and keep going with this story. Not too pressing an issue _now_ (since this is only the 6th chapter), but I want to make a decision early. Any thoughts? Help me! ~Munkin93


	7. Preparing

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A/N: You guys rock! Thanks for your input and advice! I think I'll submit about 20 or so chapters and then start a sequel; I mostly wanted your permission to do so. So thanks!

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"Raise your eyebrows. . . higher . . . higher. . . there. Now hold still," Rosalie instructed as she applied my eyeliner. I had insisted to her that I was perfectly capable of doing it myself, but she demanded I let her do it.

"I don't have baby sisters to make up," she had said. I put my hand on my chest dramatically.

"BABY sister?" I asked her; I received a roll of the eyes from her. I sat and waited patiently as she applied mascara, both our mouths hanging open tediously. "Rose, how come you're so nice to me? I mean, you're kind of mean to Bella . . ."

"Well, _some_ of us aren't throwing our lives away. _Some_ of us had no choice," she snapped, and I instantly realized the conversation was over. Esme finally broke the awkward silence, and I was grateful.

"Alice will be home soon with Bella," she warned, glancing down at her watch. She was busy finishing the last touches on my hair. I didn't understand the point of coming to this thing anyway. I was only going to the ceremony, and even then I was going to be exerting all of my focus and attention on not killing anyone.

"We'll be done by the time they get back," Rosalie said in reply to Esme. She stepped back to get a better look at me and sighed. Shock suddenly spread onto her face and she sprinted to her bedroom and back with a bag in her hand.

"I almost forgot!" she said, sounding relieved. I opened the bag and found colored contacts. The Cullens thought of everything! I had almost forgotten about my vivid, blood-red eyes. I waited for Esme to finish my hair before quickly popping them in.

Looking in the mirror, I noticed how beautiful I looked. I had never really taken time to look at myself since I was transformed, but now I really got a good look. My short, dark hair was all pulled back and curled, and my red lips popped out against my marble skin. After a moment, I realized I reminded myself of Snow White, and giggled.

"See? Didn't I tell you you'd look like a dream?" Rosalie said, chuckling along with me. Esme smiled maternally at the two of us.

"They're nearly here. Rose, go take Bree outside to help with the final touches in the yard, please," she instructed, starting to tidy up a bit. I followed her outside where I saw all the guys (except for Jasper, who had gone to get Bella's parents).

"I still have to go and get dressed," Rosalie told me. "I'll be right back." She turned and ran back into the house as I turned back to the scene.

It looked like a picture out of a fairytale. There were flowers everywhere, a light breeze blowing their fragrance around. I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to experience the completed scene firsthand; we had all agreed that my coming to the reception would be much too big a risk. After the ceremony, I was to be whisked away by Jasper and Alice to a small cabin where I would spend the evening until Edward, Bella, and all of their human guests had departed. Alice had sworn to me that every minute of the celebration would be video recorded from every angle imaginable.

I spent the rest of the morning and much of the afternoon seeing to it that the yard looked perfect, like paradise. Guests started to arrive in large crowds after seven o' clock, and at seven twenty, Rosalie came out to get me.

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**A/N: **Okay, just to answer a reader question (if you didn't get the gist in this chapter), Rosalie is so nice to Bree because she, unlike Bella, did not choose to become a vampire. Rosalie doesn't like Bella because she feels she is throwing away her life and potential, whereas Bree didn't have a choice (same with Rosalie). I hope that answers that question! :)

Again, thanks for tuning in! I've got writer's block really bad and I can't think of anything . . . I'm a good halfway through Breaking Dawn at the point where I'm writing, but I don't really know where to go. I want the whole 'Bree' storyline to stay interesting, but I'm not having any amazing ideas. Do you have any? If you do, I would love to hear them (and your permission for me to use them!). Thanks again! Be sure to let me know! ~Munkin93


	8. Ceremony

**A/N:** People, I am _so sorry_! I got distracted again and forgot to update . . . I'd give you my excuse, but it doesn't even matter because you've all been so supportive and I shouldn't even be making excuses in the first place! So, instead, I apologize for not being here. I know it's frustrating when people don't update for a while, and so I'm really sorry! I'll get back in the . . . I don't know . . . _groove_, I guess ;). . . you know what I mean! Thank you!

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"It will all be okay," she promised, putting one hand on my back and one on my arm as she led me toward the house.

Then it hit me: the smell of warm, human blood. A roomful of it. Then, the sound of their beating hearts. I stopped dead in my tracks, my eyes wide.

"Rose," I whispered. "I can't."

"Yes, you can. Just remember to focus. Don't breathe at all, and pay really close attention to the ceremony. You can block out the sound if you focus hard enough. I've never seen a newborn with such a powerful potential," she told me. I nodded and held my breath, not to breathe again for another forty minutes.

Bella was kind enough to ask me to be one of her bridesmaids, but there was a part of me that wondered if she was crazy. I was a newborn vampire, for goodness sake! There was no promise that I would (or could) behave for over half an hour. But I was certainly going to try. I owed it to the Cullens for all their hard work with me over the last two months.

Rosalie put my hand on her arm and she led me inside the house. I was focused. I did my best to block out all sound from my brain, and I fixed my eyes upon a point on the wall.

We had all decided that it would be better if I just started out standing at the front of the room, rather than making a big entrance. That way, Jasper could better control my emotions. Rosalie left me to play the piano over on the side.

"Who is that?" I could hear people wondering aloud.

"That's their cousin."

"I thought it was their sister."

"Where has she been all these years?"

"Man, she's hot!"

"Shut up, Mike!" I couldn't help but grin at the last two remarks. They were undoubtedly Bella's school friends. I seemed to wait for forever there, until Rosalie's song changed from Pachelbel to Wagner. I looked up to see Alice floating down the stairs and coming to stand next to me.

Bella and her father made their entrance: she was beautiful. If I didn't know better, I would have said that she was already a vampire. She was looking dead on at Edward, and I could hear her heartbeat clearer every time she took a step nearer. I looked away at a spot on the wall again and froze. I began playing songs in my head to distract me (mostly Pachelbel's canon, since it was now stuck in my mind).

For a good half and hour, I waited, occasionally shifting my weight back and forth like I was instructed, and remembering to blink. I wondered if my contacts still had their color? Had the venom begun to burn them away? Would I be exposed right here, in the middle of this happy day?

After what seemed like a hundred years, Edward and Bella kissed, and I managed a smile and clapped politely. That was what threw me: I lost concentration. I grabbed Alice's arm for support as everyone began to stand, and she and Jasper literally picked me up and carried me out the door by my arms.

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**A/N:** Thanks again for reading! I love you guys! xoxoxoxoxo! ~Munkin93


	9. Mistake

**A/N:** Sorry, again, guys! You know the drill . . . no excuses *bows her head in shame* . . . I've been working on a new story and trying to overcome intense writer's block with this one! I'm really sorry, I'll be better! I just dread the day when I have no new chapters to put up! Let's hope I get back in the . . . . groove, so to speak. Thanks for stickin' with me! Xoxoxoxoxo!

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We ran for about four minutes, until we reached the cozy cottage. I knelt on the floor and shook violently for a few moments, and then I was able to gain some control over my body.

"I'm so sorry," I gasped. Alice smiled.

"I'm so proud of you, Bree!" she said, giving me a hug. Jasper nodded in agreement.

"I've never seen a newborn retain control for so long. That was really impressive." I smiled, an apology still in my eyes.

"Don't be sorry. We'll be back in a couple of hours to get you. Until then, feel free to entertain yourself," Alice said, motioning to an enormous, plasma screen tv against one wall. I thanked them as they stepped out and watched as they ran.

I could not believe I had done it. It seemed unreal. Two months of vigorous training really did pay off.

I scanned the DVD collection against one wall and chose some satirical comedy that I only partly paid attention to. I was still amazed by my own performance at the wedding, and I was surprised when the movie ended some time later; I had nearly forgotten it was still running.

I was just about to take it out and put it away when there was a loud knock on the door.

"Hello? Anybody in there?" someone asked. It was a man, most likely in his fifties. I had no sooner heard his voice than I smelled him. I doubled over and fell to my hands and knees, trying to remember what I had been taught. It was too hard. The smell was overwhelming. I could hear his wet, juicy heart, beating rhythmically on the other side of the door.

I began shaking furiously as I resisted the urge. It began to cause me intense physical pain, and I had to keep from screaming in case the man tried to come in.

"Hello?" he called again. I fell to the ground on my side, writhing and shaking in agony.

"Just leave," I moaned quietly, too soft for him to hear. I began tearing up the wooden floor with my fingernails, and tried to control my thoughts. It was too powerful.

I turned over and leaped up onto my feet, into a crouch. I leapt over and broke down the door, landing on the man. Then, I tossed the door to the side and gazed unforgivingly on his abhorred face.

"BREE!" I could hear Jasper calling from the trees. I pretended not to hear him. I crouched down again and let a low growl rip from my throat. Before I knew it, Jasper's arms were around my body, a sense of sudden calm about me. However, I still wanted the man's blood. I struggled against him as he carried me away.

I finally came to my senses a couple miles later.

"What did I do?" I whispered to myself. Jasper said nothing. All of a sudden, Alice met us from behind. "I didn't know you were here," I commented. She, too, said nothing. We ran in silence until we reached the house, and the entire family was sitting in the front room.

The smell of humans still lingered, but I knew it was useless to look for them. They had left for home hours ago. Esme was sitting on the couch, looking restless and uneasy, with Carlisle standing next to her, his arms crossed sternly. Rosalie and Emmett were standing a distance behind them.

I was set down in front of the jury of vampires, and Alice and Jasper walked over to stand by the other wall. Nothing was said for a long while.

"I'm very sorry," I said sincerely. I don't know that I had ever been so sorry in my life (human and vampire). Rosalie looked disbelieving.

"You put this entire family in danger tonight, Bree!" she exclaimed, her words cutting into me like knives.

"Rosalie, it's a wonder she didn't kill that man," Esme said in my defense. I had never been so grateful to her in my life.

"She could have exposed us!" Rosalie cried, gesturing at me with her hand. Emmett held her other arm and glanced at Jasper anxiously, no doubt wondering if he was doing anything to change the tense mood in the room.

"Trial-and-error, Rose," Carlisle told her. "Now she knows. It'll not happen again, I assume?" he asked. I could only frantically shake my head. "We'll continue to work with her. We're not about to give up. You can't deny that she has been making progress no one ever expected." The room sat in silence again. I silently thanked all of them and made a silent vow to never attack any human being, ever.

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**A/N:** A longer chapter for y'all this time . . . I figured I owed you! Hopefully I'll have _some_ free time to post the next one in the next couple of days! Thanks again for hanging in there. ~Munkin93


	10. Unexpected

**A/N: **Whoa, you guys! Where have _I_ been? Whoa! Sorry about that! I don't know what happened there!

Sorry, the last chapter was, admittedly, a little harsh -- that's what took me so long to update! I absolutely _hated_ the way it turned out the first go through, and I'm still not sure how I feel about it . . . for now, I think it's fine where it is . . . I'm not a huge fan of it, but if you'd seen the first draft, you'd absolutely love the present one! :)

Disclaimer: Please don't sue me. _Everything_ is property of Stephenie Meyer and associates, I'm just the one who plays with them when I'm bored! Have mercy. ;)

* * *

Time passed slowly. Every day, I was driven throughout Forks twice a day, Carlisle at the wheel, Jasper and Emmett at my sides. We did this until I was able to do it with a straight face and no shaking. This took a good two weeks. I have never been in so much pain in my life.

We had just returned home from my second successful attempt and were celebrating. I was in the midst of a circle of family, receiving congratulations and praise from everyone (except Carlisle, who was inspecting the damage on a car I had previously ruined).

All of a sudden, Alice's face went completely blank, and she suddenly grabbed her phone and began dialing frantically.

"What's wrong?" Carlisle asked urgently. Everyone had stopped dead, watching Alice.

"It's Edward and Bella. Something's wrong," she mumbled, listening and waiting. Everyone could clearly hear the other side of the line when she answered.

"_Hi, Alice_," Bella said. She sounded terrible. She cleared her throat, probably noticing how bad she sounded.

"Bella? Bella, are you okay?" Alice asked, her holding the phone with two hands as if it was heavy.

"_Yeah. Um, Is Carlisle there?_" Bella asked.

"He is. What's the problem?" asked Alice, still holding tightly onto the phone.

"_I'm not . . . 100% . . . sure . . ._" she said.

"Is Edward all right?," she asked frenetically. She turned back to the house and called, "_Carlisle!" _Then back to the phone. "Why didn't he pick up the phone?"

"_I'm not sure_."

"Bella, what's going on? I just saw–"

"_What did you see?_" Bella interrupted urgently as Carlisle entered the room, looking concerned. Alice was hesitant to hand the phone over to him.

"Here's Carlisle," she said, forking it over. He took it from her and asked, "Bella, it's Carlisle. What's going on?"

"_I–_" she started, then paused. "_I'm a little worried about Edward . . . Can vampires go into shock?_"

"Has he been harmed?" Carlisle asked. I could feel Jasper trying to calm the room, but the sense of anxiety was still underlying for everyone.

"_No, no. Just . . . taken by surprise._" Carlisle furrowed his brow.

"I don't understand, Bella," he said, putting one hand in his pocket. He looked like a catalog model.

"_I think . . . well, I think that . . . maybe . . . I might be . . . pregnant_." The room gasped in surprise and shock, and Rosalie clapped her hands over her mouth. Carlisle said nothing for a long time, thinking hard.

"When was the last day of your menstrual cycle?" Whoa. Embarrassing. I knew Carlisle was a doctor, but a question like that would still irk me. It didn't seem to bother Bella.

"_Sixteen days before the wedding_," she told him, without pausing. She must have counted beforehand.

"How do you feel?"

"_Weird_," she admitted. There was fear in her voice. She told him she felt crazy; she was already having symptoms, having bad dreams, eating, crying, throwing up, and, ". . . _and I swear something _moved_ inside me just now._" Everyone froze. We were too shocked to move.

"_I think Edward wants to talk to you._"

"Put him on." We waited.

"_Is it possible?_" he sounded like he was losing his mind; very deeply troubled.

"It's very possible; after all, Bella's body still changes, and the male reproductive system doesn't change much at all."

"_And Bella?_"

"You need to get her back here as soon as you can. There's no time to waste. We need to remove whatever is growing inside of her before it can hurt her. You'll need to book a flight, ASAP, and we'll pick you up at the airport. Can you keep her safe until then?"

"_Yes. Yes, I will._" Carlisle hung up the phone and glanced at all of us. No one expected this. I glimpsed at Rosalie, who was still holding her mouth, going through a catharsis. I had never seen her like this. I knew that if her eyes could produce tears, they'd pump out gallons. Everyone else just stood there, frozen as statues. Carlisle exhaled deeply.

"Well, I guess we'd better be getting to the airport."

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**A/N: **Rubbish? Not rubbish? Please let me know! I hope you all enjoyed and hopefully I will have the next chapter up really soon! ~Munkin93

PS: It's my birthday today! This is _my_ present to all of _you_! Haha ;)


	11. Vengeance

**A/N: **Holy hell, I'm so sorry! Where have I been? I don't even know! Geez, I'm really bad at this, no wonder it took me two years to post a fic! Haha!

So, basically, sorry. I thought I'd make it up to you with a new 3 chapters.

* * *

No one wanted to wait at home, so we all went with them. I was sure I could handle it, despite all of the humans there. I wanted to know what was going on.

We waited for hours. They were all the way in South America, so it obviously took a good twelve hours for them to arrive. While we waited, Emmett and I entertained each other by engaging in a tedious game of blackjack(I won all but once).

Then, Rosalie received a phone call from Bella when she was about halfway there. She scoffed when she saw who it was on the caller ID, but answered in a kind tone anyway.

"Hello?" she answered.

"_Rosalie?_ _It's Bella. Please. You have to help me." _She sounded desperate. Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"With what?" She was so good at controlling her voice, there was no way Bella would be able to tell what she really felt toward her.

"_Rosalie, I can't let them take this baby. It's me and it's Edward. Please, please help me_," she cried.

"Why did you call _me_?" Rose asked.

"_Because I know how much you wanted this. I need _your_ help. _You_ can help me, Rose. I don't want you to be angry with me._" I could see that Rosalie's heart had softened.

"Bella, I'll help you in any way that I can. I won't let them take your baby," she vowed. Immediately, could spotted the selfishness in her plan, and it made me a little bit sick. She was using Bella to accomplish her own ends, which was wrong, and I knew it. Looking back on it, I shouldn't have let her do it.

"They're landing," Alice said suddenly. We all jumped to our feet and moved quickly, lest we missed them.

The smell was intoxicating. I held my breath and followed my family, staying close to Jasper. We walked to the luggage pick-up and waited until we saw them descending on the escalator. They both looked stern, focused, and in Bella's case, tired. She saw us and sprinted forward once they reached the bottom, right into Rosalie's open arms.

Edward looked nothing less than bewildered. Rosalie shot him an ice-cold glare, and he looked taken aback. A sudden look of understanding spread onto his face, and he looked like he had been beaten over the head.

"Bella," he whispered. He looked heartbroken, realizing what she was planning. She looked back at him, her cheeks tear-stained.

"Edward," she cried softly, "I _won't_ let you hurt this baby."

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**A/N:** _Eh? Eh?_ Whaddaya think? Lemme know! ~Munkin93


	12. Insanity

**A/N:** Munkin-makes-it-up-to-you-chapter-number-two! Haha enjoy! :)

* * *

The baby grew rapidly over the next couple of weeks; in less than a month, Bella looked to be more than halfway through her pregnancy. She was unable to keep any food down, and we could do nothing but watch as she slowly died.

Edward and Carlisle insisted upon aborting, but Bella, Rosalie, and even Esme refused; that was a majority. Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and myself opted to remain neutral. The last thing I wanted was to tear my new family apart.

It was a lazy Thursday, and we were all sitting around, waiting for something to happen. It seemed like all we did anymore was wait around for Bella to die. I was sorry I didn't get to spend much time with her. There was one moment when we were alone – most had gone hunting, others just needed to get their minds off the situation– and we were able to talk.

I walked into the room with my arms crossed. Bella was sitting on the couch, flipping through the channels on tv when she saw me walk in. Her heart immediately sped up, and I saw some of the blood flow out of her face.

"Don't worry, I won't eat you. That thing dilutes the smell enough," I assured her, taking a seat next to her. I could still tell she was uneasy, and we sat in silence for several long minutes.

"Do you think I'm insane?" she asked all of a sudden. She was serious.

"No," I told her honestly. "But I do think that you've got high expectations."

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking bemused.

"You assume that this thing is some cherubic little angel sent from God, but no one knows what's really in there. Were you not listening when they were saying that this thing will more than likely _kill you_?" She looked hurt by my words. I was about to apologize when she spoke again.

"You're right," she said, wiping a tear or two away. "I know you probably don't trust me, Bree, and you really have no reason to, but please listen to me. . . I can't get rid of this baby. I _know_ it's a baby, and I know that I love it. It's me and Edward." I pondered for a moment and then nodded and gave her a smile.

"I'm not choosing sides, Bella," I reassured her. She looked relieved.

Today, we were all gathered in the living room, sitting and standing in silence, when we heard the sound of a car pulling into the drive. Rosalie sniffed the air and grimaced.

"It's the dog," she announced, fanning her face with her hand dramatically, and I realized that it really _did _stink. I hadn't smelled anything like it before, but it really did stink like dirty, wet dog.

"What does he want?" Alice asked, looking at Edward, who said nothing. Edward hadn't said much in the last several days.

"Who are you talking about?" I asked, but received no answer. Carlisle was too busy heading toward the door before anyone even knocked.

A beautiful Native American boy was standing there, looking expressionless, but there was a hint of anger in his eyes. I wondered what had upset him.

"Hello, Jacob," Carlisle said. Oh, so _this_ was Jacob. Damn. "How are you?" Jacob breathed in and out momentarily, looking disgusted. I was happy that we could return the favor of the stench.

"I heard Bella made it back alive," he said.

"Um. . . . Jacob, it's not really the best time," Carlisle told him. "Could we do this later?" I wondered what was the problem. It wasn't going to be long until the whole world found out that Bella had been eaten alive by her own baby anyway, so why not just get it over with? Bella seemed to feel the same way.

"Why not?" she asked, looking up at Rosalie. "Are we keeping secrets from Jacob, too? What's the point?" She sounded awful, like she had the combination of a head cold and strep throat. "Come in please, Jacob."

"Excuse me," Jacob said impatiently, edging around Carlisle, into the house. He looked around nervously, keeping his back to the wall. He obviously didn't trust us. His eyes wandered around to me and looked me over.

"This must be the new one," he muttered. I nodded once at him, with no expression. I already didn't like this guy. He rubbed me the wrong way. He continued to look around the room until his eyes found Edward and then Bella, and then his eyes were filled with pain, although it didn't show on any other outward features. He looked like someone who had suffered a long, long time.

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**A/N:** One more, keep going! And thank you thank you thank you for taking the time! I love ya and I appreciate it! ~Munkin93


	13. Uninformed

**A/N:** Holy crap, have your eyes fallen out yet? No? Well, then, here's another one! ;)

* * *

Rosalie crouched over Bella, looking as if to protect her. I could rarely understand Rosalie, and I certainly didn't understand why she was behaving this way right now. Even Jacob looked confused. It wasn't until Rosalie snatched up Bella's puke bucket while she regurgitated into it that I understood what she was doing.

Edward, looking crushed, got to his knees and tried to get to Bella, but Rosalie stopped him. Bella looked at Jacob, clearly embarrassed.

"Sorry about that," she said, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Here she was, a married woman, who still had all sorts of love connections with Jacob! I knew there was something weird about her. . .

Edward moaned, and Bella stroked his hair, comforting him. He was being such a drama queen. If possible, Jacob looked even more confused as he walked toward the couch Bella was sitting next to. Rosalie jumped in front of them and hissed at him, but he didn't seem to register that fact. This whole scene was making me anxious, so I turned then and walked out, into my bedroom.

I grabbed the iPod the Cullens had given to me and cranked ABBA. Anything to get away from the madness. I slipped into a state of fully conscious sleep, more like daydreaming, and didn't realize that I was still there for nearly three hours.

I got up and wandered out to find that Jake, Carlisle, and Esme had gone and everyone else was back to sitting around, waiting for nothing. The odd difference in the large room, however, was that Bella was now in what looked like a hospital gurney; all sorts of tubes and machines surrounded her. I joined the rest of them and stood, motionless, for a good twenty minutes, until we all glanced up and looked to the west; Jacob and a visitor were on their way.

Edward obviously heard something we didn't, and he immediately got up and walked forward, Emmett and Jasper was flanking him. We waited in the house for several minutes, listening to Edward's side of the conversation. They seemed to be cordial enough.

Alice got up and walked out, probably wanting to know what was going on. I heard Edward's summary of the situation: basically, someone got in a fight and they were now coming to "remove the danger." Great. An attack. That was just what I needed.

"Bella, I don't understand," I admitted, crossing the room toward her. "Why do they keep talking about a pack? And how come I can only hear Edward's side of the conversation?" Bella smiled slightly.

"Jake's a werewolf. The pack is a group of werewolves who protect La Push," she replied, like it was no big deal. Oh, so they WERE freaks. Okay, _now _it made sense.

"Carlisle and Esme are on their way," Emmett said. Crap. We were going to be attacked while our numbers were vulnerable. . . like kicking someone when they're already down. . . that was just plain mean.

"I wonder when they'll be back," Rosalie thought aloud. Automatically and unwillfully, I turned to her.

"About ten minutes," I replied. She furrowed her brow curiously.

"How do you know?"

"I . . . I don't know. It just makes sense. . ." I told her truthfully. She furrowed her brow even deeper, as though she was on the verge of an epiphany.

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**A/N:** Phew, y'all are troopers! *gives high-fives and claps on the back* Way to be! A million and one thanks again for taking time out of your day to read this! And _please_ let me know what you think! Be sure to comment! You guys are my favorite! I will update soon, but I just wanted to give you something to chew on until that time ;) ~Munkin93


	14. Special

**A/N: **How's it going? As per the usual, I apologize for my extended period of absence. No excuse, other than my mere laziness. My sincere apologies.

**Disclaimer:** As previously stated, I don't own Breaking Dawn. That is the sole property of Ms. Stephenie Meyer. Have mercy on my soul. ;)

* * *

Edward, Jasper, Emmett, and Alice backed into the house again and turned to face us.

"They're going to run a perimeter, make sure Sam stays away," Edward explained, practically running back to Bella's side.

"Who's 'they?'" I asked.

"Jake and Seth," he explained. "He's another werewolf, and he followed Jake when he split off from the pack."

"Jake split off?" Bella asked weakly. "Like, he's not in the pack anymore?"

"Yes. He and Seth are sort of their own pack now, Jake as the leader." Bella looked elated, and for a moment I thought it would stretch the thin skin on her face so far it would split. Rosalie turned to Edward.

"Bree just predicted that Carlisle and Esme were ten minutes away," she reported, sounding like a little girl tattling to her parents. If I could still blush, I would have, as Edward glanced at me.

"Where are they?" he asked, as if to confirm.

"They just turned onto the road to the house," I told him. I didn't know how I knew, I just did. He listened for a moment, before widening his eyes.

"She's right."

"So she locates people?" Rosalie asked.

"Hey, Bree," Emmett interrupted. "Where's my green pen?"

"Emmett!" Rosalie hissed, elbowing him impatiently.

"In Carlisle's office," I replied. Again, it just made sense.

"_I knew it_!" he exclaimed, pounding his fist into his other hand.

"Wait, so she can locate anything?" Alice asked. Edward shrugged.

"Looks like it. We'll talk to Carlisle when he and Esme get back in . . . ?" The whole room turned to me expectantly.

"Five minutes," I finished. Sure enough, less than five minutes later, they walked in the door.

"What is Seth doing here?" Carlisle asked. Edward explained the whole splitting-of-the-pack situation, and then reported on my abilities. Carlisle looked at me and walked toward me.

"Bree, where is Jake?"

"On the southwest side of the house, about fifty yards away."

All of a sudden, we heard several howls in a row, and Edward sprinted to a window to see what had happened. Jake suddenly appeared momentarily before running back into the forest.

"It was a false alarm," Edward told us. "Seth was upset about something else, and he forgot we were listening for a signal. He's very young."

"Nice to have toddlers guarding the fort," Emmett muttered, flipping through channels again with his feet up.

"They've done us a great service tonight, Emmett," Carlisle told him, looking disappointed. "At great personal sacrifice."

"Yeah, I know. I'm just jealous. Wish I was out there," he said, rubbing Rosalie's back. She looked exhausted, even though I knew she couldn't be.

"Seth doesn't think Sam will attack now," Edward reported. "Not with us forewarned, and lacking two members of the pack."

"What does Jacob think?"

"He's not as optimistic." I rolled my eyes. Jacob was starting to come off as a cranky woman with PMS: depressed and annoying.

* * *

**A/N:** Also per the usual, I _plead_ with you to leave a comment! Please! Por favor! S'il vous plait! Bitte! Per favore! Snalla! Alsjeblieft!

Now that I've used 7 different languages, I'm sure you get the point. If you think of any more, be sure to let me know. ;)

Keeping with the overall spirit of author's note deja vu which seems to have overtaken this chapter, I would like to thank you once again for reading! Thank you! Gracias! Merci! Danke! Grazie! Tack! Bedankt! Haha ;) ~Munkin93


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